ROBERT BURRIDGELOOSEN UP WITH AQUAMEDIA PAINTING...IT'S LIKE 4 YEARS OF ART SCHOOL!Monday September 25 - Friday September 29, 2017​Victoria, BC Sorry this workshop is full - please join our wait list - see below

​Burridge's popular "Loosen Up" workshops nurture individual success and personal enrichment with a big emphasis on daily painting projects at your own pace. It is stress-free, but be warned; you could end up with too much enthusiasm for painting.

This Burridge flagship workshop offers a variety of painting subjects for everyone. Designed for the professional painter who is stuck in a style as well as for the novice who wants to conquer their fear of painting.

​Starting each day with multiple, small "warm-up painting exercises" and up to larger-format paintings, Burridge's positive approach towards the act of painting will inspire you to loosen up, have fun again and paint more!​Expect an intense, concentrated and lively workshop where you will create many works of art using spontaneity for maximum effect.

This workshop has become a must for artists who want the confidence and permission to paint the way they have always wanted to paint.

​Students will take home preprinted notes of useful and need-to-know information. Burridge's newest color combination technique is also demonstrated. A positive attitude is a must!

We’ll paint ethereal landscapes, trees, chickens, florals and fruit, and more! This workshop will be a blast! For a sneak peek, click on the video links below.

Mere color, unspoiled by meaning and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand ways. - Oscar Wilde

Learn to paint more expressively by utilizing your own unique mark making in your art work. You'll begin to welcome the freedom that painting this way can bring and will come to understand that it is key in developing your own beautiful abstract paintings.​Individual attention means each student works at his or her own pace. Artists should have a willingness to dare and be eager to experiment and try new things and to push your own personal boundaries.

You'll practice and develop expressive abstract painting techniques but will also focus on colour, planning, design and compositions that make for truly successful paintings.

​Claire will present one demonstration daily, typically completing a painting a day. She will explain her thought process step by step as she paints. She'll share with you why she has chosen to use a particular colour and why she has made a particular shape. ​You'll work on your own each day but will be inspired to paint more expressively with Claire 's helpful guidance. Students typically complete two to three paintings a day!

​We'll have tons of space for you to work in so join us and brush, scrape, pour, drip, and scumble your way to your own beautiful paintings! ​

Claire Desjardins, Abstract painter, comes from a long line of artists and grew up in Montreal, Canada. She worked for many years as a graphic designer and was ensconced in a life of technology and marketing. In 2011, she gave up a regular pay cheque to pursue her love of painting full time. She is now painting fulltime, teaching painting workshops and has a studio in the Laurentians (one hour north of Montreal, Quebec). She is represented by galleries in both Canada and the US, including public galleries such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, in Toronto, and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Claire has received grants to attend various artist residencies including one in China. She has been interviewed by various art publications, and appears regularly on a number of blogs. U.S. retail chain, Anthropologie, has reproduced her artwork on merchandise, selling it under the Claire Desjardins signature label. Claire’s work has appeared regularly in feature films and television shows. Claire sells art on her website www.clairedesjardins.com and is a top-selling artist on Saatchi Art.

Hours 9 - 3 daily (Stay late and paint on your own... extended studio hours available from 3 til 7 PM first two evenings of each workshop.)*Artists must bring sturdy easel and backing board (if flying in we have a few for loan or rent)Medium: Acrylic water based paintsTuition: $695 + 5% tax ​Level: - all levelsWorkshop #1Wednesday October 11 - Friday October 13, 2017 3 Days (Workshop #1 is now full. SEE WORKSHOP # 2)Workshop #2 Tuesday October 17 - Thursday October 19, 2017 3 Days (spaces still available)Location: Saanich Fairgrounds, 1528 Stelly's Cross Road, Victoria, BC. Click here for map​PLEASE NOTE: IF SPACE IS AVAILABLE YOU MAY REGISTER FOR BOTH WORKSHOPS HOWEVER WORKSHOP 2 IS A REPEAT OF WORKSHOP 1.

​KELLY ALLANSON Sorry, this workshop is now full!Click HEREto get on our wait list​STUNNING EMBELLISHED STERLING SILVER RINGS WITH BLING!Workshop # 1 - Two Day Workshop Saturday October 14 and Sunday October 15, 2017Victoria,BC (Saanich Fairgrounds)

​Immerse yourself in creativity and make yourself a ring you’ll never want to take off!

Kelly will demonstrate a multitude of techniques over our two days together and you’ll get to pick and choose which ones you'd like to incorporate into your own special ring. ​

​To begin, you’ll learn to do a spit shank, u shank, double wire or tapered shank for your ring band and then we’ll begin adorning them with a beautiful stone of your choice. Next, you’ll start to add your own personal touches that will make your ring really stand out. ​

​​We’ll cover how to make your own twisted wire, how to solder on smaller decorative elements like silver balls and even how to cut out accent pieces like leaves and feathers from silver sheet to solder to your rings

​This class is geared for beginner to advanced and can be made more challenging if you already posses silversmithing skills. Kelly will have tons of supplies on hand so you’ll have the opportunity to choose from a large assortment of wires for your ring bands, stones, bezels and more! Join us and make an awesome one-of-a-kind ring unique to you!

​Join us for an introduction to the techniques of reticulation and wear your beautiful ring home. You’ll learn a multitude of techniques during this workshop. If you have no previous experience with silversmithing or you’re totally proficient, you’ll pick up some new tricks here.

We’ll start with a square piece of reticulation silver, a specially alloyed silver that helps create the deep valleys and ridges we love. Beginning with learning how to depletion guild our silver, you’ll begin by bringing up the fine silver on the surface of your metal. This creates the ideal surface for reticulation. From here, we’ll choose the part best suited for your ring and you’ll have the option to taper the band, offset it or keep it flush.

Once your ring has been constructed, you may choose to add an accent piece, either a lovely shimmering pearl or a thick bar of silver wire to enhance your creations. Or you may decide to keep it simple and let the beauty of the reticulation speak for itself. No two are ever the same!​​​It is an exciting approach to jewellery making and it’s the imprecision in the technique that will help make your pieces awesome! ​

​Reticulated silver is compatible with other silver alloys. You will have a narrow strip left over, perhaps enough to do a couple of small rectangular earrings or a second thinner band. Or keep to use as accents on a project at home.Only 12 spaces!All tools supplied!1 dayAll levels​Sorry, this workshop is now full!Click HERE to get on our wait listDate: Monday October 16, 2017$159.00 + 5 % tax(+ $60.00 material fee to be paid to instructor at workshop)​Hours: 10 - 5 dailyLocation: Saanich Fairgrounds, 1528 Stellys Cross Road, Victoria, BC. Click here for map

New Workshop Just added...​KELLY ALLANSON SORRY THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL CLICKHERETO GET ON THE WAIT LIST!​STUNNING HOLLOW FORM STERLING SILVER RINGSTWO RINGS, TWO DAYSSaturday November 11th and Sunday November 12th, 2017Nanaimo,BC

​Day 1. Make a beautiful soft square or oval/round hollow form ring. Amazingly light and comfortable to wear and yet so impressive to look at! ​Kelly will take us through the process step by step but emphasises that soldering hollow forms is a real skill builder and will give you the confidence to tackle other more challenging solder projectsin the future too!

You may choose to use the rolling mill or texture hammers to create a beautiful pattern or learn to finesse your ring to a highly polished mirror finish. Knowing how to execute a professional polish is the sign of a skilled jeweler. ​

Day 2. With all the fundamental skills you acquired on your first day, you're now ready to really kick it up a notch! Let your imagination run free and design a ring in ashape of your choice. You’ll draft your shape on grid paper with Kelly’s guidance.Once your form is constructed, you have the option to do a sunken tube setting with either one or two, 3 mm faceted synthetic stone/s. They can be mounted either thru the top or thru the side/s of your ring. Making two of these stunning hollow form rings ensures that you'll have the muscle memory and skills to continue making these beauties in your studio! ​​